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Welcome

Health & Wellness education currently provides a multifaceted approach to health promotion and communication. The philosophy of HSUs health education program is one that centers the connections between health, our identities, and to the physical place in which we live. Because of this we need to take in to account the vast diversity of our student body and the ways in which intersecting oppression, place based learning, and systems of power and privilege relate to that way we communicate and receive information on health & wellness. It is by this process that we are creating a sustainable and adaptable health education program that is built on empowerment, liberatory education, agency, and the capacity to both recognize and meet the needs of a diverse array of people and communities. Central to this concept is the empowerment of students’ voices and needs. All of this highlights the first steps towards challenging the damage of health education that relies on fear, shame, and guilt to influence behaviors.

Health and wellness are crucial to the success of college students, students cannot be successful in their academic career or moving forward if they don't have their basic need met. Health education in colleges and universities has the potential to assist students who are systemically disadvantaged in a university setting. By shifting away from a model that is rooted in systemic oppression to one that is dedicated to fostering radical wellness and critical hope we can carve out spaces for student success until a time comes where when are able to re-envision the entire system.

The programmatic offerings of the Health Education program include:

Peer Health Education Program:

The Peer Health Educators (PHEs), funded thru the Student Health Center. The PHEs are student staff members that are trained in peer-to-peer health education, including knowledge in sexual health, alcohol and other drugs, mental health & wellness, and physical wellness (body image, colds & flu, & health relationship to food). The students are taught to critically examine their experiences as students in our community and to apply those experiences in to interactive health promotion outreach. They plan large scale programming, small scale workshops, classroom presentations, and training for other student employees and leaders across campus. In the PHE office students can get free safer sex supplies and meet with a PHE. The PHEs also run a highly successful volunteer program that meets every Friday at 5pm.

Oh Snap Campus Food Programs

Oh Snap Food Pantry, funded by Associate Students, IRA fees, a grant through Humboldt County, the Department of Social Work. The Oh SNAP Campus Food Programs were started by a group of HSU Social Work Students who were concerned about food security among college students. The program consists of a campus food pantry (like a small food bank), assistance with CalFresh Applications, a campus food waste diversion program, and a weekly farm stand featuring free locally grown organic produce.

Check-It - Bystander Intervention

Check It, funded by a grant from the Department of Justice, funds from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and other grant funding when available. The CHECK IT program is Humboldt State’s health education program’s answer to creating a campus culture that doesn’t tolerate sexualized violence, dating violence, or stalking. CHECK IT is Humboldt State’s student led multifaceted bystander education program that teaches community accountability. CHECK IT represents years of work done by HSU’s Sexual Assault Prevention Committee (SAPC). CHECK IT represents a successful collaboration between faculty, staff, students, community members, and organizations; it is an extension of the work done in the SAPC and works out of the Recreation and Wellness. The language and imagery of CHECK IT was created by students for students and is a phenomenal example of the process of co-learning in action. CHECK IT is a verb and a movement. CHECK IT as a movement is a student led movement meant to empower the community to take action when incidences of sexualized violence, dating violence, or stalking occur, it also means to create a campus community that is supportive to both people who are known to us and who aren’t, and is supportive of the choices and experiences of those who have survived violence. To CHECK IT means to intervene when harm is about to occur.

CHECK IT is a student-centered program aimed at empowering students to take action when they see potential harm happening around them (i.e. acts of sexual assault, dating violence and stalking). It’s also about creating a more consent centered culture where students look out for one another, support survivors, and make clear to those who choose to commit acts of harm that it’s unacceptable in our communities. We provide general and tailored skill building workshops, organize educational and social events, offer free consent and check it themed party and event merchandise, and resources centering around sexualized violence, consent, and healthy relationships.